REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-189-P

STRATEGIC PLAN

CONSULTANT SERVICES

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING:

Monday, September 14, 2026, at 3:30 PM Central

SUBMITTALS ARE DUE PRIOR TO:

Monday, October 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central

RFP MAY BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO (Registration is free):

ntmwd.bonfirehub.com

DOCUMENTS MAY BE DELIVERED TO:

NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT

PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

501 E. BROWN STREET

WYLIE, TX 75098

DOCUMENTS MAY BE MAILED TO:

NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT

PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

PO BOX 2408

WYLIE, TX 75098

NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT CONTACT:

Dave Leong dleong@ntmwd.com

SOLICITATION SUMMARY FOR

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 26-189-P (RFP)

1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to facilitate a comprehensive update of its strategic plan. The selected consultant will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors, Executive Team, staff, and identified external stakeholders to reassess the NTMWD’s strategic direction, operating environment, organizational priorities, and implementation approach.

2 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Please find below a tentative schedule of events for this RFP. NTMWD reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to revise the tentative schedule of events if the said revision is in its best interest.

RFP Release Date: September 2, 2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting: September 14, 2026, at 3:30 PM Central

Deadline for Questions: September 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central

Proposal Due Date and Time: October 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central

Interviews (if necessary) November 2 & 3

Contract Execution: Anticipated in early December

NOTES:

• The pre-proposal meeting will be held virtually. For meeting details, see meeting event in Bonfire

(ntmwd.bonfirehub.com).

• The proposal opening will be held via Webex immediately following the Proposal Due Date and Time. To participate in the opening, please utilize the following information:

URL: https://ntmwd.webex.com/meet/dleong

OR

TEL: 1-415-655-0001 or 844-621-3956 Access Code: 145 101 8098

Only the names of companies who submitted proposals will be read.

• It is anticipated that interviews held with shortlisted firms will be on the dates prescribed above. If selected for interviews, the firm will be expected to have the proposed project lead, at a minimum, attend in person in Wylie, Texas.

3 TERM

The term of this agreement shall commence on the date of the last signatory and shall be for a period of one (1) year. NTMWD reserves the option to temporarily extend this service for an additional ninety (90) days from its expiration date for any reason.

4 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Before a contract can be executed, the successful proposer shall provide evidence of insurance coverage in accordance with the “Insurance Provisions” in SPECIAL PROVISIONS contained within this solicitation document. Bidders and their insurance agent, broker or representative must review the insurance provisions to understand its requirements and cost to contract with NTMWD. An insurance affidavit is included in this solicitation to verify the proposer will comply with the insurance provisions if a contract is awarded.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTION AND REQUIREMENTS

1 Contact Information 2 Addenda and Clarifications 3 Proposal Preparation 4 Proposal Format Requirements 5 Submittal of Proposals 6 Proposal Receipt / Evaluation of Proposals 7 Proposal Award 8 Interviews 9 Determination of Non-Responsible Proposer 10 Determination of Non-Responsive Proposal 11 Rejection of Proposals 12 Withdrawing Proposals

EVALUATION CRITERIA

SCOPE OF WORK

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1 NTMWD’s Right to Inspect and Audit 2 Term 3 Insurance Provisions

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1 Assignment 2 Changes In Contract 3 Compliance With Laws 4 Confidential or Proprietary Information 5 Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (Federal Minimum Wage) 6 Fiscal Year Funding 7 Force Majeure 8 Indemnification and Hold Harmless 9 Independent Contractor 10 Jurisdiction 11 Non-Compete Agreement or Clauses 12 Notice of Delays 13 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 14 Personal Liability of Public Officials 15 Severability 16 Subletting of Contract 17 Tax Exemption Status 18 Termination of Contract: Default And Remedies 19 Termination of Contract For NTMWD Convenience 20 Terms of Payments 21 Third-Party Beneficiary Clause 22 Liability for Damage to District Property 23 Foreign Terrorist Organization 24 Prohibition on Boycotting Israel 25 Prohibited Use of Certain Social Media Applications and Services on Government Devices 26 Disclosure of Interested Parties 27 Disclosure of Certain Relationships 28 Former NTMWD-Employee Representation

PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMS

1 Proposal Pricing Format 2 Cooperative Purchasing Provisions 3 Insurance Review Verification

4 Subcontractor Agreement Verification 5 Organizational Summary Information 6 Insurance Affidavit 7 Proposal Endorsement Form 8 Prohibition on Contracts with Companies Boycotting Energy Companies 9 Prohibition on Contracts with Companies that Discriminate Against Firearm & Ammunition Industries

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS & REQUIREMENTS

A Proposal is requested by NTMWD. NTMWD will receive separate sealed Proposals until the Proposal Due Date and Time. This Section provides information on how and where to submit a Proposal and other pertinent information regarding this RFP. Those who submit proposals are required to read and comply with these instructions.

1. CONTACT INFORMATION

It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ask questions and obtain clarification of any information contained herein. Proposers must submit all questions or requests for clarification ONLY in writing and ONLY to the contact person identified on the Cover of this RFP (the “NTMWD Contact”). The Solicitation Number must be referenced in all correspondence pertaining to this RFP. Proposer contact with NTMWD personnel, other than the NTMWD Contact, may be cause for Proposal rejection.

2. ADDENDA AND CLARIFICATIONS

NTMWD may, in its sole discretion, elect to issue changes or clarifications to the RFP. NTMWD will issue changes or clarifications in the form of a written addendum. Written addenda shall be the ONLY FORM of amendment to the RFP. Other written information or verbal communications shall not constitute a change to the requirements of the RFP. Addenda, if issued, will be mailed, faxed, and/or emailed to all known prospective Proposers prior to the date and time of the Proposal Due Date and Time.

It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ensure receipt of any addenda issued by NTMWD. Failure of any Proposer to receive any such addendum or interpretation shall not relieve the Proposer from any obligations under its Proposal as submitted. The Proposer must sign all addenda and return them with their Proposal. All addenda shall become part of the contract documents.

3. PROPOSAL PREPARATION

A. Submittals: Proposer must submit all Proposal Response Forms, plus all addenda, completed forms, and any requested information and documentation as part of its Proposal. Proposer’s failure to include all submittals may be cause to consider a Proposal non-responsive.

B. Endorsing the Proposal: An authorized officer of the Proposing Firm must sign the Proposal. Signature of the

Proposal will signify agreement and compliance with all requirements set forth in this RFP except where properly noted in the Proposal Response Forms. Proposers that take exception to NTMWD’s General Terms and Conditions, Special Provisions, and/or Scope of Work shall do so at the risk of Proposal rejection.

C. Tax Exempt Status: Purchases by NTMWD are exempt from sales and use tax under Section 151.309 of the

Texas Tax Code (the “Code”). In addition, purchases of tangible personal property and taxable services for the purpose of reselling them to NTMWD may also be exempt from sales and use tax under Code Section

151.302. Where legally permitted, a Consultant shall provide the vendor or supplier with a properly executed resale certificate at the time of purchasing tangible personal property and/or taxable services that are to be resold to NTMWD pursuant to a contract.

D. Acceptance of Specification Requirements: NTMWD will presume that the service offered complies with each requirement of the scope of work unless indicated otherwise. If the service offered is different than specified, Proposer must note the difference on an attached document that details the exception(s) to scope of work.

Failure of the Proposer to make the required acknowledgements may cause the Proposal to be considered non- responsive, in the sole determination of NTMWD. Should any product be delivered or service performed which is not as the Successful Proposer has purported it to be in its Proposal, said Successful Proposer will be required to correct any deficiencies without additional cost to NTMWD.

E. Proposer Requirements: The Proposer must have demonstrated experience of a similar nature and scope in the successful completion of the services to be performed pursuant to the Scope of Work. The Successful Proposer must take prime Consultant responsibility, including the management and performance of all subcontractors and products (goods) provided.

F. Proposer Costs: Any costs that may be incurred to prepare responses, attend meetings, attend site inspections, provide requested follow-up information, make formal and informal presentations, and / or contract negotiations, if applicable, shall be the sole responsibility of the Proposer.

G. Confidential or Proprietary Markings: Any portion of the Proposal that Proposer considers confidential or proprietary information, or to contain trade secrets of Proposing Firm, must be marked accordingly. This marking must be explicit as to the designated information. This designation may not necessarily guarantee the non-release of the information under the Public Information Act or as otherwise required by law but does provide NTMWD with a means to review the issues thoroughly and, if justified, request an opinion by the Attorney General's office prior to releasing any information requested under the Public Information Act.

4. PROPOSAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Overview

To facilitate and expedite the evaluation process, all information in the Proposal should be organized and presented as directed below. A Proposal may be deemed to be non-responsive and may be disqualified, at NTMWD’s discretion, if the Proposal fails to comply with the following instructions.

Proposal Organization

The original hard copy Proposal shall be submitted in a 3-ring binder or electronically via Bonfire.

Proposals that are uploaded to ntmwd.bonfirehub.com by the specified due date and time will satisfy the bidding requirements.

Proposal text shall be typed in font no smaller than 10 point, on 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper, with one-inch margins.

Proposals may be either single-sided or double-sided pages and single-spaced the entire document.

All Proposal sections shall be divided by the use of numeric index tabs. All pages within these sections shall be uniquely numbered for purposes of easy reference.

Proposals shall be assembled in accordance with the following format.

Cover Letter (1 Page Limit)

• Include an explicit statement indicating that the Proposer, if successful, will be the Prime Consultant for the Work.

Table of Contents

• Include references to sections and page numbers.

Disclosure Statements

• Proposer’s disclosure and description of any outstanding legal issues and claims against it in connection with current Scope of Work or other Scope of Work undertaken in the last five (5) years.

• Proposer shall include in its response a statement affirming that no member of NTMWD, no officer, director, agent, or employee of NTMWD, and no member of any commission, committee, NTMWD or corporation controlled or appointed by NTMWD has already received, in connection with or related in any way to this contract, or has been promised, in the event this contract is awarded to the firm, any commission, finder's fee or other thing of value. In addition, the firm shall furnish a statement that identifies any member of NTMWD and any official or employee of NTMWD who, the firm has reason to believe, would or may be financially affected, whether affirmatively or negatively, and whether personally or through a spouse or other family member, if this contract were awarded to the Proposer. Upon request by NTMWD’s Executive Director, or an authorized agent thereof, the Proposer shall respond to any questions relating to the subject of this section.

Addenda

• The acknowledgement page(s) of all addenda issued by NTMWD shall be signed by the Proposer’s authorized representative and submitted in this section.

Section 1 – Company Overview

• Provide the name of the person who is authorized to answer questions regarding the firm’s proposal.

Please include a phone number and e-mail address.

• Provide a brief overview of your firm including history, mission and/or philosophy, services offered, areas of expertise and organizational structure. Include the number of years in business and the size of company.

• Describe your understanding of the work to be performed and your firm’s ability to perform the work within the time frame provided. Include your understanding of the objectives of NTMWD’s strategic planning process and the role of the consultant in facilitating development of the updated Strategic Plan.

• Describe how and why your firm should be considered for this proposal. This should include an explanation of the firm’s philosophy, size, structure, and qualifications for serving governmental organizations with a similar size and operations. Include relevant experience leading strategic planning engagements for public agencies, utilities, local governments, or similarly complex organizations.

Section 2 – Team Qualifications

• Identify the key personnel who will be assigned to this contract. Please provide resumes and/or background information that discuss their education, professional certifications, qualifications, and indicate their relevant experience with communications services and strategic planning, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and public-sector consulting, as applicable.

• Indicate what specific responsibilities each individual listed above will have with regard to this project.

Identify the individual(s) who will lead major workshops, focus groups, executive leadership discussions, and Board engagement activities.

• Discuss commitments you make to staff continuity, including your staff turnover experience in the last three (3) years.

• Provide a proposed project organizational chart, identifying reporting structure and areas of responsibility. Indicate team personnel that are not from local offices.

• Indicate whether any firms are proposed as sub-consultants or vendors for this project and the type of work to be performed by each firm. What is the total percentage of work that each firm expects to perform on the projects?

Section 3 – Methodology and Approach

• Describe and identify clearly and fully, your firm’s proposed approach to the services described in this RFP. This should include information on single versus team management, project communication approach, etc. The response should describe the proposed strategic planning process from project initiation through Board consideration of the final Strategic Plan, including major phases, activities, milestones, and deliverables.

• Describe your approach to reviewing and assessing NTMWD’s existing Strategic Plan and facilitating development of the updated plan, including how the firm will help NTMWD establish clear organizational goals and objectives at an appropriate strategic level.

• Describe your proposed approach to stakeholder engagement and facilitation, including methods for obtaining meaningful input from NTMWD leadership, Board members, employees at multiple levels of the organization, customers and member cities, and other external stakeholders identified by NTMWD.

• Discuss the communication process used by the firm to report issues to management.

• Provide a detailed schedule that identifies major phases, stakeholder-engagement activities, Board and leadership work sessions, draft-review periods, final adoption and final presentation milestones.

• Identify inherent scope of work challenges and the overall plan for meeting project management challenges and requirements. Include anticipated challenges associated with facilitating a strategic planning process involving multiple internal and external stakeholder groups and how those challenges would be addressed.

• Describe what assistance will be required from NTMWD’s staff.

• Describe your approach to transitioning from strategic plan development to implementation, monitoring, and periodic reporting following adoption of the plan.

• Provide any additional information which will be useful in evaluating your proposal.

Section 4 – Past Experience

• Provide examples of two (2) to three (3) recent strategic planning engagements of similar size, scope, and complexity to the services described in this RFP.

• For each project, provide a brief narrative for the following:

The organization and nature of the engagement

The scope of strategic planning services provided;

The stakeholder engagement process, including involvement of governing boards, executive leadership, employees, customers, community stakeholders, or other relevant groups;

The process used to develop or refine organizational goals, objectives, priorities, or other elements of the strategic plan;

The project duration and final deliverables; and

The relevance of the engagement to NTMWD's Strategic Plan project.

• Identify any members of the proposed project team who participated in each referenced engagement and describe their role.

• Please provide references associated with the projects described above. The reference list should include public entities when available. For each reference, include:

Company/Entity name

Location (city and state)

Contact name

Phone number

Email address

Brief description of work performed, duration of the engagement and how it is relevant to the Scope of Work in this RFP.

• List all clients that have, in the past two (2) years, terminated their contract prior to the contract’s original completion date, including decisions by the client not to exercise remaining contract option years.

For any contracts listed, give the reason for termination (if known) and the names and telephone numbers of the client’s agent or employee responsible for administering the contract.

Pricing (Do not include this information in Section 1 – 4)

Submit pricing via Bonfire or, if submitting a hard copy of your proposal, provide one (1) copy of the proposed pricing in a sealed envelope entitled “Pricing.” Proposal pricing shall be assembled and presented in accordance with the format and instructions of this RFP.

5. SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSALS

• NTMWD will accept Proposals no later than the Deadline for Proposal Due Date and Time. NTMWD will not consider late proposals. All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of NTMWD and will not be returned to the Proposer.

• Hard Copy Proposals must be signed, sealed in an envelope or container, and delivered to NTMWD’s

Procurement Department. Unsigned, unsealed or late Proposals will not be considered. The Proposer must submit one (1) original. The Proposal submittal must be clearly marked with the RFP Number, Proposal Due Date and Time and addressed to the attention of the Procurement Department.

• Proposals that are uploaded to ntmwd.bonfirehub.com by the specified due date and time will satisfy the bidding requirements. Technical questions regarding how to upload your submission should be directed to Bonfire support. All other questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted on Bonfire by the question due date and time. If Bonfire is unavailable, questions can be directed to dleong@ntmwd.com.

• Proposer must provide all information requested in this RFP for a Proposal to be considered responsive.

• Non-Compete Agreements or Clauses: By submission of a bid or proposal or the execution of a contract, Bidder/Consultant agrees that NTMWD will not be bound by any non-compete agreements or similar agreements that inhibit NTMWD’s right to award and execute a contract to any company that submits a bid or proposal to NTMWD.

6. PROPOSAL RECEIPT / EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

Responses to this RFP (Proposals) become the exclusive property of NTMWD. Proposals will be opened by NTMWD so as to avoid disclosure of contents to competing Proposers and kept secret during the process of negotiation.

After Proposals are opened, they will be evaluated on the basis given in the Scope of Work and as described in the “Evaluation Criteria” Section of this RFP. Until final award of a Contract, NTMWD reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive technicalities, or to proceed with an award for the services otherwise as deemed in NTMWD’s best interest.

• NTMWD reserves the right to require additional information from any or all Proposers and to conduct necessary investigations to determine (a) if the product and/or service offered meets NTMWD’s requirements, (b) the quality and reliability of the Proposer’s performance, and/or (c) to determine the accuracy of the Proposal information. As part of said investigations, NTMWD may interview and/or visit companies or public entities listed as references.

• NTMWD reserves the right to select any/all options that is/are determined to be in its best interests and at the sole discretion of NTMWD.

7. INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held with Proposers that are short listed to participate in Phase 2 of the evaluation. Interviews generally include time for presentation on topics determined by NTMWD and a question-and-answer period. The exact format, content and length of the interview will be determined by NTMWD after Phase 1 of the evaluation and communicated to shortlisted Proposers.

8. PROPOSAL AWARD

• If a Purchase Order or Contract is awarded as a result of this RFP, it will be made by NTMWD to the Proposer whose Proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to NTMWD, taking into consideration the relative importance of price and other evaluation factors, as identified in the Evaluation Criteria Section of this RFP.

• Proposals shall remain valid during the evaluation process time period including award of the Purchase

Order or Contract. This time period is a minimum of 120 days.

• NTMWD reserves the right to make multiple awards if NTMWD believes it is in its best interest to do so.

• NTMWD and the Consultant agree to perform this Contract in strict accordance with the documents listed below, all of which are made a part of this award, in the order of precedence listed:

• Negotiated Modifications, if applicable

• Addenda, if applicable

• RFP Scope of Work

• Special Provisions

• General Terms and Conditions

• Consultant’s Proposal

• Proposer is required to review all the terms, conditions and contract provisions contained in this RFP to ensure it can comply with and concurs with all requirements.

• Proposer is required to review the payment terms and is advised that, unless other terms are requested and accepted, payment shall be made within 30 days after receipt of a valid invoice or receipt of products / services in accordance with the scope of work, whichever is later.

9. DETERMINATION OF NON-RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER

• NTMWD may disqualify a Proposer as non-responsible and its Proposal shall not be considered for reasons including but not limited to the following:

• Reason for believing collusion exists among the Proposers.

• The Proposer being in arrears on any existing contract or having defaulted on a previous contract.

• Where the Proposer, in the judgment of NTMWD, has failed to perform in a satisfactory manner on a previous contract.

10. DETERMINATION OF NON-RESPONSIVE PROPOSAL

• NTMWD may disqualify a Proposal as non-responsive and it shall not be considered for reasons including but not limited to the following:

• Proposal received after the Proposal Due Date and Time.

• Proposal was not signed.

11. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

• NTMWD will automatically reject any Proposal that is submitted after the Proposal Due Date and Time and return it unopened.

• Until a Purchase Order is issued, NTMWD reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive technicalities, to re-solicit, to decline to proceed, or to otherwise proceed with procurement of goods and services herein defined by other method(s) allowed by law and in the best interests of NTMWD.

12. WITHDRAWING PROPOSALS

• Proposer, by submitting a proposal, warrants and guarantees that the proposal has been carefully reviewed and checked and that it is in all things true, accurate and free of mistakes. However, Proposers have a common law right to withdraw a proposal due to material mistake in the proposal.

• Proposer must submit a request to withdraw a proposal in writing to the Procurement Manager. The written request to withdraw a proposal must state the reason for the withdrawal request and, if the request is made after the Proposal Due Date and Time, the details of the material mistake must be included in the request.

A proposal for which withdrawal is properly requested prior to the Proposal Due Date and Time will be returned to the Proposer unopened.

• If the Proposer elects to withdraw its proposal and the withdrawal is accepted by the Procurement Manager or Designee, then the proposal/bid will become null and void. The proposal/bid will not be eligible to be reinstated.

PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

RFP NO. 26-189-P PROPOSER:

A check mark in the space provided indicates these forms, documents, or actions have been completed and are included in the proposal package. All deviations from the scope of work, form submittals, or action items must be documented separately and included in the submission.

Please include a copy of a completed checklist with the proposal response.

Proposal Submittals

Signatures. All forms requiring a signature have been signed.

Proposal Forms. All forms completed, including:

Proposal Pricing Form Organizational Summary Form Proposal Endorsement Form All other forms requested as part of the RFP

Addenda. When applicable, Proposer submits signed addenda issued as part of the RFP. If any addenda included amended proposal pages or attachments, those documents must be used and included with the proposal.

Vendor References. Proposer provided the requested number of references for the Proposer.

Proposer Qualifications. When applicable, Proposer to provide all certifications, licensing, or other requested qualifications verification forms or information necessary to validate qualifications to provide products or services.

Proposal Completion Actions

Read/Confirm Intent to Comply. Proposer has read the Scope of Work, Special Provisions, General Terms and Conditions and confirms that he/she will comply with all requirements as provided.

Proofreading. Proposer has proofread all documents to ensure all information provided by the Proposer is accurate and responsive to the RFP scope of work.

NTMWD is not responsible for errors made by the Proposer.

Proposer has proofread all mathematical and number entries to ensure accuracy and commitment to honor pricing as submitted.

Late Proposals. Please note the time, date and delivery location (or mailing address if submitted by U.S. Postal Service). Late bids or proposals will not be accepted.

END OF PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

This checklist is intended to be an aid to reduce the possibility of errors in proposal submission; it is not intended to relieve the Proposing Firm from its obligations to review and comply with the RFP requirements.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1 The evaluation criteria listed below will be used to determine which proposal response is most advantageous to NTMWD. Said determination will be made by NTMWD based on NTMWD’s best interest, and shall be considered final. Proposals received in response to this RFP will be evaluated based on the criteria and corresponding weight given in each evaluation category listed herein. NTMWD’s evaluation team may consider feedback from references and/or NTMWD’s direct experience with a Proposing Firm as part of their evaluation process and consideration for scoring proposals. NTMWD’s evaluation team reserves the right to shortlist firms based upon scores/ratings received during the evaluation process.

2 NTMWD will utilize a two-phase process to evaluate proposals. Evaluation Criteria Nos. 1 – 3 below will be utilized to evaluate all proposals for Phase No. 1 by the NTMWD evaluation team. NTMWD will determine a short list of Proposers to advance to Phase No. 2 of the evaluation process based upon the Phase No. 1 evaluation scores. Evaluation Criteria Nos. 4 – 5 below will be utilized to evaluate proposals from the short list of Proposers for Phase No. 2.

3 Proposers shall be treated fairly and equally with respect to any opportunity for discussions. Inasmuch as

NTMWD may not request best and final offers, Proposers are strongly urged to provide competitive pricing since revisions may not be permitted after submissions and before the award of the Contract.

4 The evaluation criteria are listed below:

No. Criterion Weight

Phase No. 1

Company Overview, Qualifications and Personnel Experience (Sections 1 – 2) 20 Points

Methodology and Approach (Section 3) 20 Points

Past Experience / References (Section 4) 20 Points

Phase No. 2

4 Interviews 20 Points

5 Pricing 20 Points

END OF EVALUATION CRITERIA

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Purpose The North Texas Municipal Water District (the “District”) seeks qualified consulting services to facilitate a comprehensive update of its strategic plan. The selected consultant will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors, Executive Team, staff, and identified external stakeholders to reassess the District’s strategic direction, operating environment, organizational priorities, and implementation approach.

The District expects the planning process to include a deliberate review and confirmation of its existing vision, mission, core values, and high-level goals. While these foundational elements may remain substantially unchanged, the consultant shall not presume that they will be retained without validation through the planning process.

The resulting plan must be a newly developed, practical, and measurable framework. It should guide Board and management decision-making, organizational priorities, resource allocation, performance management, and stakeholder engagement. The consultant shall evaluate and recommend an appropriate strategic-plan structure, including strategic priorities, objectives, initiatives, tracking, and reporting processes.

2. Scope of Services

2.1 Project Initiation and Planning

The consultant shall develop a detailed project-management approach, schedule, stakeholder-engagement plan, and communication protocol in coordination with District staff. The consultant shall facilitate a project kickoff with designated District leadership and refine the work plan as necessary.

Key activities should include review of relevant District materials, including the current strategic plan, Board policies, organizational plans, financial and capital-planning documents, customer and stakeholder information, prior studies, and other materials identified by the District.

2.2 Current Plan Assessment and Organizational/Environmental Assessment The consultant shall evaluate the District’s current strategic plan (Infographic can be viewed here: https://ntmwd.com/DocumentCenter/View/219/2022-to-2027-Strategic-Plan- PDF?bidId=), including its structure, priorities, measures, management approach, and implementation experience. The assessment shall identify elements that remain useful, elements that should be revised or discontinued, and lessons learned to inform development of the new plan.

The consultant shall also assess internal and external factors likely to affect the District during a defined planning horizon. The assessment should identify major opportunities, risks, trends, constraints, and strategic considerations relevant to the District’s mission and long-term success.

The assessment should consider, as applicable:

• Regional growth and customer needs;

• Water, wastewater, and solid waste service demands;

• Infrastructure and capital needs;

https://ntmwd.com/DocumentCenter/View/219/2022-to-2027-Strategic-Plan-PDF?bidId= https://ntmwd.com/DocumentCenter/View/219/2022-to-2027-Strategic-Plan-PDF?bidId=

• Financial sustainability;

• Workforce and organizational capacity;

• Technology and cybersecurity;

• Regulatory and legislative conditions;

• Governance;

• Customer and stakeholder expectations;

• Public trust and communications;

• Resilience and emergency preparedness; and

• Partnerships and regional collaboration.

2.3 Stakeholder Engagement

The consultant shall design and implement an engagement process that obtains meaningful input from identified internal and external stakeholders. Stakeholders will include Board members, employees, member and customer cities, and other external stakeholders as identified by the District.

Engagement methods may include interviews, focus groups, workshops, surveys, facilitated discussions, and other appropriate tools. The consultant shall recommend the appropriate approach, prepare supporting materials, facilitate sessions, and summarize findings.

As a minimum, the consultant shall plan and facilitate workshops with the Executive Team and Board of Directors. Sessions should be structured to support clear decisions regarding the District’s mission, vision, core values, strategic priorities, desired outcomes, and major initiatives. The consultant should be prepared to facilitate candid discussion of competing priorities, organizational challenges, and long-term choices while maintaining a productive and decision-oriented process.

Consultant shall identify recommended approach to engage and seek input from employees from across the organization, and external stakeholder groups.

The District expects the consultant to distinguish between input gathering and decision-making.

The Board and District leadership will retain responsibility for establishing final strategic direction.

The consultant shall synthesize findings for current plan assessment, organizational/ environmental assessment, and stakeholder engagement into a concise assessment suitable for executive review.

2.4 Strategic Plan Development

Based on the assessment, stakeholder engagement, and Board and Executive Team direction, the consultant shall facilitate a workshop to identify potential updates to the strategic plan. The consultant shall evaluate the continued relevance of the District’s existing mission, vision, core values, and high-level goals and facilitate their confirmation, refinement, or revision as appropriate. The consultant shall not treat the current plan’s structure, priorities, strategies, initiatives, performance measures, or implementation approach as presumptively binding.

The plan should include, at a minimum:

• A clear vision, mission, and core values, as appropriate;

• Defined strategic priorities, goals, or focus areas and desired outcomes for each;

• Major strategies, initiatives, or action areas necessary to achieve each goal shall include;

• Performance measures, milestones, or indicators that enable the Board and management to monitor and celebrate progress;

• Identification of executive ownership and organizational accountability for implementation;

• Consideration of sequencing, dependencies, and resource implications; and

• A framework for annual review, reporting, and adjustment.

The plan should be delivered in a format that is accessible to the Board, employees, member and customer communities, and other stakeholders. It should be substantive enough to guide implementation without becoming overly cumbersome to impede progress.

Following delivery of the draft strategic plan and a review period, the consultant shall facilitate a validation workshop to seek feedback for incorporation prior to drafting the final draft strategic plan.

2.5 Implementation and Performance Management Framework

The consultant shall develop an implementation framework that translates the strategic plan into an ongoing management tool. At a minimum, the framework should include:

• Recommended oversight and accountability structure for plan implementation;

• Tool for ongoing management;

• Annual or multi-year action-planning process;

• Recommended performance measures and reporting cadence;

• Board-level reporting format;

• Process for integrating strategic priorities into departmental planning, budgeting, capital planning, and performance management, as appropriate; and

• Recommended process for Board and Executive Team review and updates.

3. Deliverables The consultant shall provide the following deliverables in editable and final formats:

1. Detailed project work plan and schedule;

2. Stakeholder-engagement plan;

3. Current-plan assessment, organizational/environmental assessment, and stakeholder-engagement findings summary;

4. Board and Executive Team workshop materials;

5. Draft strategic plan;

6. Final strategic plan incorporating District feedback;

7. Implementation and performance management framework memo and tools; and

8. Final presentation materials for Board adoption or consideration.

4. Project Management and Coordination The consultant shall designate a project manager who will serve as the primary point of contact and be responsible for day-to-day coordination, schedule management, deliverable quality, and communication with District staff. The proposal should identify all key personnel, their roles, anticipated level of involvement, and relevant experience.

The consultant shall provide regular status updates (minimum monthly status calls) and promptly identify risks, decisions, or information needed to maintain the project schedule.

5. Schedule The Consultant will provide all deliverables no later than October 28, 2027, unless the District provides prior written approval.

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1 NTMWD’S RIGHT TO INSPECT AND AUDIT

1.1 The Consultant (and Consultant’s suppliers, vendors, subcontractors, insurance agents and other agents) shall maintain and NTMWD shall have the right to examine records, documents, books, accounting procedures and practice and any other supporting evidence deemed necessary by NTMWD to substantiate compliance with the terms of this Contract, including Change Orders. Such right of examinations shall include reasonable access to and cooperation by all Consultant personnel who have worked on or have knowledge related to the performance of this Contract. The Consultant shall provide all records and retrieval requested, within seven (7) calendar days.

2 TERM

2.1 The term of this agreement shall commence on the date of the last signatory and shall be for a period of one (1) year. NTMWD reserves the option to temporarily extend this service for an additional ninety (90) days from its expiration date for any reason.

3 INSURANCE PROVISIONS

3.1 DEFINITIONS FOR INSURANCE PROVISIONS

• “We”, “us”, or “our” means the North Texas Municipal Water District.

• “You” or “your” means the vendor, contractor, tenant, consultant, engineer, architect, and their agents, servants, employees, or other party to a contract with us.

• “Contract” means the contract, purchase order, Invitation for Bid, or similar memorandum or agreement.

• For purpose of defining Additional Insured and Waiver of Subrogation, the term “North Texas Municipal

Water District (the District) shall also mean the elected officials, Board, officers, employees, agents and representatives of the District and the Cities.

3.2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• You shall, at your own expense, maintain in effect not less than the following coverages and limits of insurance. If your coverage fails to comply with these requirements, you agree to amend, supplement or endorse the existing coverage to comply, at no additional cost to us, and to maintain such insurance through the end of the contract, warranty period, or other specified time period, whichever is longer. ANY deviation from the requirements outlined below requires the prior written approval of the District.

• All required policies must be written through a company approved to transact that class of insurance in the State of Texas, with a minimum rating of ‘A -‘,and ‘VII’ by A. M. Best Company. If the rating of any insurer should fall below this standard, you shall cause the policy to be replaced promptly by an acceptable insurer.

• All required policies, except policies for workers’ compensation and professional liability, shall designate the below mentioned parties as “Additional Insureds.”

“North Texas Municipal Water District”

• All required policies shall waive the insurer’s right of recovery or subrogation against the District.

• If any policy is in excess of self-insured retention (SIR), the amount of such SIR must be clearly identified. We reserve the right to reject any SIR exceeding $100,000.

• All required policies must be primary with respect to coverage provided for the District.

• All required policies must be non-contributory with other coverage or self-insurance available to the

District.

• All required Liability policies, except Professional, must be written on an “Occurrence Form.” Neither

“Modified Occurrence” nor “Claims-Made” policies are acceptable, and the Contractor will be in contractual default if your insurance is “Modified Occurrence” or “Claims Made.” If the Professional Liability policy is Claims- Made, the Retroactive Date must be on or before the contract date or the date of the Contractor’s first professional service to the District related to our contract.

• All required liability policies must cover cross-suits between insureds.

• All required liability policies must contain a “severability of interests” provision.

3.3 REQUIRED COVERAGE AND LIMITS

Workers’ Compensation............................................................................ Texas Statutory Coverage Employer’s Liability Insurance ..................................................................... $500,000 Each Accident Each Disease, Each Employee…………………………………...$500,000 Each Disease Policy Limit…………………………………………$500,000

• All employees, leased or co-employees, independent contractors, and employees of subcontractors and vendors, occupants of the building as tenants, sub-tenants or sub sub-tenants, performing work for the District, or entering upon the District’s premises, must be covered by Texas Workers’ Compensation.

• If Contractor is a sole proprietorship without employees and which will not be using any subcontractor(s) in the performance of the Contract Work, it may substitute the following for workers compensation insurance: The Contractor must provide the District with a Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement in the form attached in the “Proposal Response Forms” section.

Commercial General Liability (CGL)

Limit Any One Occurrence ................................................................................................ $1,000,000 Damage to Rented Premises ............................................................................................... $100,000 Personal and Advertising Injury ........................................................................................ $1,000,000 Policy Aggregate ................................................................................................................ $2,000,000 Products and Completed Operations Aggregate .............................................................. $2,000,000

• Aggregate limits of General Contractors or construction contracts General Liability policies shall be

“per project” or “per location,” as appropriate. If any aggregate limit is reduced by 25% or more by reserved and/or paid claims, the contractor must notify the District and promptly reinstate the required aggregates.

Business Automobile Liability

Combined Single Limit for Each Accident… ....................................................................... $500,000

• Coverage must apply to all vehicles (owned, non-owned, or hired) operating on our site/location, or transporting our people or property off our site, except vehicles operated by you or your employee(s) commuting in personal vehicles to our parking facilities, in which case you must only carry Employer’s Non-Ownership coverage, (same limit), and ensure that such vehicle(s) are personally insured.

Professional Liability Insurance ........................................................................................... $1,000,000

• Your policy must cover the type of professional service you will provide in fulfilling your contract with the District including covering data breaches, infringement of intellectual property, trademark or copyright, invasion of privacy, information theft, damage to or destruction of electronic data, extortion and network security.

• If the Professional Liability policy is Claims-Made, the Retroactive Date must be on or before the contract date or the date of the contractor’s first professional service to the District.

3.4 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Should this Contract require the use of Subcontractors, it will be the sole responsibility of the General Contractor to either endeavor to require Subcontractors to provide and maintain the insurance limits and coverages required herein or provide said insurance coverage for the subcontractor by designating the Subcontractor as an additional insured either by a blanket additional insured endorsement, or by specific endorsement.

• The General Contractor shall verify that such Subcontractors are in compliance with all contractual insurance requirements.

• The General Contractor shall assume all liability for those Subcontractors who do not meet the insurance requirements.

3.5 CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

Upon execution of the contract or prior to commencement of work, whichever is first, you shall provide the Procurement Manager with a current insurance certificate by emailing your certificate to dleong@ntmwd.com with your contract number and business name in the subject line. Please copy the Procurement Manager on email submissions. You shall cause your insurance data to be kept current with the District for the period of time you are liable for your product or work, but not less than through the warranty period of our contract.

You further agree, upon our oral or written request, to furnish copies of certificates of insurance, certified by an authorized representative of the insurer(s), within ten (10) days of request. Certificate shall include the RFP/Contract number.

You shall provide the District at least thirty (30) days prior to cancellation, except ten (10) days for non-payment of premium of cancellation of any required coverage. You shall then arrange acceptable alternate coverage to comply with our requirements and provide an updated insurance certificate.

No policy submitted shall be subject to limitations, conditions or restrictions that are inconsistent with the intent of the Insurance Requirements to be fulfilled by you. The District's decision thereon shall be final.

Approval, disapproval or failure to act by the District regarding any insurance obtained by you shall not relieve you of full responsibility or liability for damages and accidents as set forth herein. Neither shall the bankruptcy, insolvency or denial of liability by the insurance company exonerate you from liability.

No special payment, except when separate line item is provided, shall be made by the District for any insurance that the Contractor may be required to carry; all are included in the Contract amount and the Contract unit prices.

END OF SPECIAL PROVISIONS

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1 ASSIGNMENT

The Consultant is prohibited from assigning, transferring, conveying, subletting, or otherwise disposing of the Contract or its rights, title, or interests therein, or its power to execute such agreement to any other person, company, or corporation without the prior approval, in writing, by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), whose approval shall be discretionary. Such consent shall not relieve the assignor of liability in the event of default by its assignee.

2 CHANGES IN CONTRACT

NTMWD reserves the right to make changes in the scope of the Work as may be considered necessary or desirable, and Consultant shall perform the Work as altered, whether increased or decreased, for a new Contract price equitably adjusted to reflect the changes. No allowance will be made for anticipated profits where the scope of the Work has been diminished. All Contract changes must be executed in writing.

Payment will be made only for actual quantities of products delivered or Work performed.

3 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

Consultant shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and Local laws, statutes and ordinances, and with all applicable regulations or orders of any governmental department, NTMWD, bureau or agency, including NTMWD.

4 CONFIDENTIAL OR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Any portion of the Consultant’s Proposal that is marked confidential or proprietary, or clearly states contains trade secrets of the Consultant may not necessarily guarantee the non-release of the information under the Public Information Act or as otherwise required by law. If access is requested to information in the Consultant’s Proposal so marked, NTMWD shall review the issues thoroughly and, if justified, shall request an opinion by the Attorney General's office prior to releasing any information requested under the Public Information Act.

5 FEDERAL FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE):

All contracts and subcontracts that result from this RFP incorporate by reference the provisions of 29 CFR part 201, the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), with the same force and effect as if given in full text.

The FLSA sets minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for full and part time workers.

Consultant has full…